Adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a socially constructed concept. In pre-industrial society, children were considered adults when they reached physical maturity, but today we have an extended time between childhood and adulthood called adolescence.
Adolescence is the period of development that begins at puberty and ends at emerging adulthood. Adolescence is seen as a time to develop independence from parents while remaining connected to them. The typical age range of adolescence is from 12 to 18 year of age, and this stage of development also has some predictable physical, cognitive, and psychosocial milestones.
Physical development
While the sequence of physical changes in puberty is predictable, the onset and pace of puberty vary widely. Several physical changes occur during puberty, such as adrenarche and gonadarche, the maturing of the adrenal glands and sex glands, respectively.
Also during this time, primary and secondary sexual characteristics develop and mature. Primary sexual characteristics are organs specifically needed for reproduction, like the uterus and ovaries in females and testes in males.
Secondary sexual characteristics are physical signs of sexual maturation that do not directly involve sex organs, such as development of breasts and hips in girls, and development of facial hair and a deepened voice in boys. Girls experience menarche, the beginning of menstrual periods, usually around 12–13 years old, and boys experience spermarche, the first ejaculation, around 13–14 years old.
During puberty, both sexes experience a rapid increase in height (i.e., growth spurt). For girls this begins between 8 and 13 years of age, with adult height reached between 10 and 16 years of age. Boys begin their growth spurt slightly later, usually between 10 and 16 years of age, and reach their adult height between 13 and 17 years of age. Both nature (i.e., genes) and nurture (e.g., nutrition, medications, and medical conditions) can influence height.
Because rates of physical development vary so widely among teenagers, puberty can be a source of pride or embarrassment.
Early maturing boys tend to be stronger, taller, and more athletic than their later maturing peers. They are usually more popular, confident, and independent, but they are also at a greater risk for substance abuse and early sexual activity.
Early maturing girls may be teased or overtly admired, which can cause them to feel self-conscious about their developing bodies. These girls are at a higher risk for depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
Late blooming boys and girls (i.e., they develop more slowly than their peers) may feel self-conscious about their lack of physical development. Negative feelings are particularly a problem for late maturing boys, who are at a higher risk for depression and conflict with parents and more likely to be bullied.
The adolescent brain
The adolescent brain also remains under development. Up until puberty, brain cells continue to bloom in the frontal region. Adolescents engage in increased risk-taking behaviors and emotional outbursts possibly because the frontal lobe are of their brain is still developing. This area is responsible for judgment, impulse control, and planning, and it is still maturing into early adulthood.
For an example, consider watching on YouTube, where cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show us how typically 'teenage' behaviour is caused by the growing and developing brain.Cognitive development
More complex thinking abilities emerge during adolescence. Some researchers suggest this is due to increases in processing speed and efficiency rather than as the result of an increase in mental capacity—in other words, due to improvements in existing skills rather than development of new ones.
During adolescence, teenagers move beyond concrete thinking and become capable of abstract thought. Piaget refers to this stage as formal operational thought.
Teen thinking is also characterised by the ability to consider multiple points of view, imagine hypothetical situations, debate ideas and opinions (e.g., politics, religion, and justice), and form new ideas. In addition, it's not uncommon for adolescents to question authority or challenge established societal norms.
Consider revisiting, for a refresher on the 'formal operational' stage of Piaget's stages of cognitive development.
Cognitive empathy, also known as theory-of-mind, relates to the ability to take the perspective of others and feel concern for others. Cognitive empathy begins to increase in adolescence and is an important component of social problem solving and conflict avoidance.
Consider revisiting, for a refresher on theory-of-mind.
According to one longitudinal study, levels of cognitive empathy begin rising in girls around 13 years of age, and around 15 years of age in boys. Teens who reported having supportive fathers with whom they could discuss their worries were found to be better able to take the perspective of others.
Psychosocial development
Adolescents continue to refine their sense of self as they relate to others. Erikson referred to the task of the adolescent as one of identity versus role confusion. Thus, in Erikson's view, an adolescent's main questions are 'Who am I?' and 'Who do I want to be?'
Some adolescents adopt the values and roles that their parents expect for them. Other teens develop identities that are in opposition to their parents but align with a peer group. This is common as peer relationships become a central focus in adolescents' lives.
As adolescents work to form their identities, they pull away from their parents, and the peer group becomes very important. Despite spending less time with their parents, most teens report positive feelings toward them. Warm and healthy parent-child relationships have been associated with positive child outcomes, such as better grades and fewer school behavior problems.
It appears that most teens don't experience adolescent storm and stress to the degree once famously suggested by G. Stanley Hall, a pioneer in the study of adolescent development.
Only small numbers of teens have major conflicts with their parents, and most disagreements are minor. For example, in a study of over 1,800 parents of adolescents from various cultural and ethnic groups, researchers found that conflicts occurred over day-to-day issues such as homework, money, curfews, clothing, chores, and friends. These types of arguments tend to decrease as teens develop.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen3h.Co